Glen Carlson: Unearthing Our Best Traits

Dent Global Co-founder Glen Carlson subscribes to a concept called proximity bias. The crux of proximity bias is that we — as entrepreneurs, thinkers or anyone else — devalue our own thoughts because we spend too much time right next to them.

Think about that for a moment. I can say with almost 100% certainty that there are things that you are very good at. You might be the best at making key lime pie in your town, or just a world-class listener who is great at getting people to open up.

But that skill, unless you have an otherworldly self-confidence, is probably not that amazing to you. Because you see it on a regular basis, you become adjusted to it and it just isn’t that amazing. Instead, you spend your time wishing you could surf, or drive a stick shift, or make millions of dollars playing the property market.

Take one minute, right now, to list three different things that you are incredible at. They don’t have to be physical skills like riding a bike, but can even be more abstract things such as understanding startups and what makes them work.

Now, how are you employing these skills in your life and business? Are you using them to their full effect, carving a career that gives you the best life possible?

Most of us aren’t, and that’s understandable. However, you should always be thinking about what skills you have — the ones that make people say “wow” — that you are ignoring. That’s where success lies.
The power of a podcast

Imagine the last incredible conversation you had, one where you felt like you were spouting pure wisdom in its most unadulterated form. It might’ve been about business, politics or just life in general.

Do you remember exactly what you said? Probably not.

This is where a podcast can come in. The majority of podcast hosts don’t make any money off their show. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t generating value. People often make the mistake of assuming that podcasts make their money exclusively through ads. In fact, ads can be a huge waste of time for podcasts.

On the other hand, podcasting can be incredibly effective when it comes to unearthing hidden talents and incredible ideas. When you’re sitting down with brilliant people, and you’re connecting with them on a spiritual level and blowing yourself away with the brilliance that’s coming from the conversation (perhaps an exaggeration, but you get the point), you don’t have to worry about forgetting the ideas. That’s because, you guessed it, you recorded the damn conversation.

Don’t devalue yourself. Examine your best traits, start a podcast and learn what makes you amazing.

Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.

He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.